Deploy Release Test

Use this skill only when manually running the entire Next.js deployment test suite for a pull request. Treat package validation as a hard gate: never dispatch the workflow until the exact commit's redirected tarball responds successfully.

Scope

Do not use this workflow to sanity-check one deployment test or a focused group of tests. Follow Running Deploy Tests Locally instead:

NEXT_TEST_VERSION=https://vercel-packages.vercel.app/next/commits/<commit-sha>/next pnpm test-deploy <path-to-test>

If a request to "run deploy tests" does not explicitly call for the entire suite, prefer the focused local workflow and scope it to the affected tests.

Inputs

Accept a PR number or determine the PR from the current branch.
Use repository vercel/next.js and workflow .github/workflows/test_e2e_deploy_release.yml.
Require the PR head branch to exist in vercel/next.js. A fork branch cannot run this secret-bearing workflow; use the repository's PR adoption process first when appropriate.

Workflow

Resolve the PR branch and its latest commit from GitHub, not merely from the local checkout:
```
gh pr view <pr-number> --repo vercel/next.js \
  --json number,url,headRefName,headRefOid,isCrossRepository
```
If no PR number was supplied, omit <pr-number> to detect the PR from the current branch. Stop if isCrossRepository is true. Record headRefName as the branch and headRefOid as the commit SHA.

Construct the exact package URL:

https://vercel-packages.vercel.app/next/commits/<commit-sha>/next

Wait for the package to become downloadable before dispatching anything:
```
node scripts/wait-for-preview-tarball.mjs --commit-sha <commit-sha>
```
Keep the wait in an ongoing terminal session and poll it so the user still receives progress updates. The helper uses HEAD, follows the redirect to Vercel Blob, and only succeeds when the final artifact is available. Do not substitute a check that accepts the initial redirect: that endpoint can redirect even while the blob still returns 404.

If the helper times out or reports an authorization or build failure, do not dispatch the workflow. Report the failure and inspect the commit's build-and-deploy / upload-preview-tarballs checks if useful.
Resolve the PR again immediately after validation. Compare the current headRefName and headRefOid with the recorded values. If either changed, return to step 2 and validate the new commit-specific URL. Never reuse the old package URL for a moved branch.
Trigger the workflow from the PR branch and pass only nextVersion:
```
gh workflow run test_e2e_deploy_release.yml \
  --repo vercel/next.js \
  --ref <pr-branch> \
  -f nextVersion=https://vercel-packages.vercel.app/next/commits/<commit-sha>/next
```
Do not pass any other -f values. Leaving them unspecified preserves the workflow defaults, including vercelCliVersion: vercel@latest and empty optional overrides.
Find and verify the newly created run:
```
gh run list --repo vercel/next.js \
  --workflow test_e2e_deploy_release.yml \
  --branch <pr-branch> \
  --event workflow_dispatch \
  --limit 5 \
  --json databaseId,url,status,conclusion,headBranch,headSha,displayTitle,createdAt
```
Confirm that the newest matching run has:
- headBranch equal to the PR branch
- headSha equal to the validated commit SHA
- displayTitle containing the exact commit-specific package URL
A race can still move the branch between the final check and dispatch. If the run's headSha differs, report the mismatch and do not trigger another run until the new SHA's package has been validated.

Completion Report

Report the PR branch, validated SHA and package URL, workflow run URL, and its current status. Do not wait for the full deployment suite unless the user asks you to monitor it.

Related Skills

$pr-status-triage - Inspect failures if the deployment workflow does not pass.
$create-pr - Create or update the internal PR branch before deployment testing.

deploy-release-test